Primary voting and vote-challenging mechanism for voting-machines.



No. 881,992. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

, G. 0. ABBOTT. PRIMARY VOTING AND VOTE CHALLENGING MECHANISM FOR VOTING MAGH'IN ES.

APPLICATION nun mu: 1. 1907.

W/ TNE SSE 8 ATTORNEY cHAnLE'sro.;ABBoT'r, OF PIT'TsFI Ln, MAssA MACHINE C MPANY, .OF PITTSFIELD, MAS ear. I

SAOHUSETT Assienos To TRIUMPH VOTING s, A CORPORATION OF NEW JER- onusnr rs,

PRIMARY VQTIN AND VOTE-CHALLENGING MECHANISM FOR VOTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Application filed June 1, 1907 Serial No. 376,753.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that LCnARLEs C. ABBOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, county ohusetts, have invented a new and useful Primary Voting and Vote-Challenging Mechanism for oting-Machines, (Case 13,) of which the following is, a specification. This invention relates to voting machines and has for its object to provide locking mechanism applicable to the "linesof'voting members, to meet: conditions likely to arise in rimaries and also where votes are likely tobe challenged in ordinary elections.

With 'these and other objects in view I have devised the simple and novel 1nechanism which I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and usin reference characters to indicate the severa arts: 1 Figure 1 is a horizontal section on the line 1-1 in Figs. 2 and 3, of so much of thecase ofa voting machine as is necessary to'illustrate the present invention, the locking bar and party lever appearing in plan and a portion of the party bar appearing inlongitudinal section; Fig. 2 a section on the line .2 3 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, the position of the parts corresponding withFig. 1;'and 3 is a section on the samc line, the lockingbarbeing in the retractedposition as in dotted lines in Fig. 1. I denotes the front plate of a voting machine case, 11 the back plate, 12 an end plate and '13 a longitudinal support which is ordinarily .invertedUgshape in cross section and is shown as secured to the end plate brackets'l l. 15 denotes the party lever which comprises an arm 16, a disk-shaped portion 17 which extends :through and per etually closes a slot 19 inthe front plate an a hand piece 18 which projects outward from the disksshaped ortion. I The party. lever is 45- pivoted to 'aracket or brackets 20 secured to the front plate, and the ar1n16 thereof asses througha' clearanceslot 21 in the 'ront wall of the longitudinal support 13. I '22 denotes voting members each compris- 50 in'g, so far as the present invention is conof Berkshire, State of Massal ,U shape and secu shafts by keys 26 lar form, it being, of course, under bars correspond vthe party bar toward the l cern'ed, a shaft indicated by 23, lever indicated by indicated by 25.

a voting 24 and a resettingarm The resetting arms are s iown as made from sheet metal formed to red to the voting member 27 denotes one of the party bars. For convenience in description I will use the singustood that s of party ties placing there is in every machine a serie ing with the par candidates in nomination and lines of voting members corresponding with the party bars. The branches of: the resetting arms are shown as straddling the party bar The party bar rests upon and is engaged in any suitable manner by cross pins 29 which extend between -the branches of the resetting arms. 30 denotes a slot in the party bar which is engaged byarm 16 of the party lever. In casting a party 7 vote, the party lever is inovedirom the full line positionin Fig. l to the dotted position insaid figure and moves the party bar from the full lineto the dotted position shown, and with it moves all of thevoting members in that line to the voting position. If the party lever is not used and y means of the votthe voting in that line is b ing members operated singly, the movement of the party bar will be practically the same. Thecrloss pin 29 of the resetting arm 25 of thefirst voting member operated will move eft, the, slot 30 in the party-bar being amply long to permit this movement of said bar. When the party bar is returned to the non-voting position after a voting operation, the means for which is not shown, asit forms no portion of the present invention, the engagement therewithof the cross pins in the resetting arms will return the voting members to the nonvoting position, and the locking-of the party bar, the means for which is not shown, will lock them in that position; The party lever isreturned to the non-voting position 95 by the party bar through the engagement 'of the left-end wall of slot..30 in said bar with arm 16 of the arty lever. 3. denotes the locking bar which r'eoiprocates in slots 32in the back plate of the, case 100 and in the front late of longitudinal support 13. The loo ring bar is provided with roles 33 and 34, either of which is ada ted to be engaged by a spring catch 35 w ich is shown as riveted to the back plate of longitudinal support 13. The function of the spring catch is to retain the locking bar in either the inward or the retracted position but without looking it, leaving the operation of the bar within the control of the custodian by the exercise of a slight amount of force. \Vhen the spring catch is in engagement with hole 33, as in l igs. 1 and 2, the locking bar is retained at its inward position, and when the spring catch is in engagement with hole 34 the locking latch is retained at its retracted position, as will be more fully explained. I

36, 37 and 38 denote other holes in the locking bar, either of which is adapted to be engaged by a pin-39, for example, a cotter pin as shown, for a purpose presently to be explained. The forward end of the locking bar is beveled as at 40 in order to prevent the possibility of interference with any of the parts in the movements. The outer end of the locking bar is shown as provided with a hole 41 which may receive a ring or finger piece for convenience in operation.

l2 denotes one of a plurality of brackets which carry a pole 43 to which one edge of a curtain 44 is connected, the curtain being otherwise supported by fixtures (not shown, as they form no portion of the present invention) The operation is as follows; Should it be required to look a line of voting members out of use and to take the control thereof out of the hands of the custodian or other official in charge of the machine, the locking bar is pushed inward, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and pin 39 is placed in hole 36 in the locking bar, the pin lying just within back plate 11 of the case, so that when the rear doors of the case (not shown) are closed and locked, it will be impossible to retract the locking bar, it being presupposed that the keys to the doors are in the possession of other officials than the custodian so that when the machine is set up for voting the custodian can make none except authorized changes in any of the mechanisms. 'When the parts are in the po.- sition shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2, the entire line of voting members will be locked in the non-voting position owing to the fact that the locking bar will lie in the path of movement of the party bar which is thereby locked out of operation and the voting members are also looked out of operation as no voting member can be operated unless the party bar is moved, as already explained. When the parts are in the posiion just described, it will be noted that the front end of the locking bar engages the front plate of the case; so that movement of said bar in either direction is prevented. Suppose now that in setting up the machine for an election, it is desired to place the control of a line or lines of voting members in the hands of the custodian to either lock or release the same. Pin 39 is removed from hole 36 in the locking bar and is placed inhole 37, the placing of the pin in this hole causing said pin to serve as a stop to prevent withdrawal of the locking bar. When thelocking bar is in the retracted position, as in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 3, it will be wholly out of the path of movement of the party bar leaving the use of the party lever and'voting members wholly unrestricted. Suppose now that it is desired to lock the locking bar in the retracted position so that it will be out of the power of the custodian to interfere with unrestricted voting either by means of the party lever or individual voting members in any of the lines. The locking bar would be withdrawn and another pin 39 placed in enga ement with hole 38 in the locking bar, said hole in the retracted position of the bar beingjust outside the end of spring catch 35, in position to engage said catch should the bar be pushed inward, so that with pins 39 in holes 37 and 38, the locking bar would be locked in its retracted position and it will be impossible to move it in either direction, and the rear doors of the case being locked it will be impossible for the custodian or for any person except the officials having charge of the election to remove the ins and effect any v 1 change in this portion 0 the mechanism.

Suppose now that a condition arises, as, for,

example, under the voting laws of certain States in general elections or in primaries in which it is required to prevent the use'oi the party lever and consequently to, prevent all except individual voting and at the same time to leave the control of the lines of voting members in' the hands of the custodian or other duly qualified ofiicial. A pin 39 would be placed in hole 37 to prevent withdrawal of the locking bar but leaving said bar free to be moved in or out by the custodian. Curtain 44 would be used 'to cover and conceal the party levers, leaving the voting members BXfOSGd and their operation wholly unrestricte Should it be required to look a line of voting members against a challenged voter or against a person in a primary not permitted to vote in that line, the custodian would simply ush the locking shaft inward from'the dotte position in Fig. 1 and the osition in Fig. 3 to the full line position inig. 1 and the position in Fig. 2, in which position it would e retained by the spring catch. This would place the locking bar in the path of movement of the arty bar and would thus effectuall look all the voting members in that line in th e non-voting posiwith a line of voting members, of means-for 'tion, as no movement of any voting member could take place without movement of-the party bar.

Having thus described my invention, I I claim:

1. In a voting machine, the combination locking said voting members in the non-- voting position, a casing for said devices and means wholly within the casing for controlling said locking mechanism.

2. In a voting machine, the combination with a line of voting members, of means for locking said voting members in the nonvoting position and a locking bar for locking said locking means in either non-voting position.

3. In a voting machine, the. combination the locking bar and the voting or with voting members, a party bar engaged thereby and a party lever engaging the party bar, of means for concealing the party lever and means within the control of the custodian during an election for locking the party bar in the non-voting position.

4. In a voting machine, the combination with voting members and a party bar engaged thereby, of means for locking the party bar in the non-voting position, a casing for said devices and means wholly within the casing for controlling the said locking mechanism.

5. In a voting machine, the combination with voting members and a party ba'r en gaged thereby, of means within the control of a custodian during an election for locking the party bar in the non-voting position and for controlling the locking means.

6. Ina voting machine, the combination with voting members and a party bar enbar having holes 33 and gaged thereby, of a reciprocatory locking bar which in the retractedposition permits unrestricted movement of the party bar and when pushed inward crosses the path of the party bar and prevents forward movement I with voting members,

partybar and prevents forward movement thereof, a, casing for said devices, and means wholly within the casing for locking the locking bar at either the inward or the re tracted position.

8. In a voting machine, the combination with voting members and a party bar engaged thereby, of a reciprocatory locking 34 and a spring and permit unrestricted voting and to engage said hole 33 to retain the locking bar at the inward position to prevent voting. 7

9. In a voting machine, the combination with voting members and a party bar engaged thereby, of a reciprocatory locking bar having a hole 36, a back plate through v which the looking bar passes, a front plate adapted to be engaged by the inner end of a pin adapted to engage said-hole within the back plate to lock the locking bar in the path of movement of the .1 r

party bar.

10. In a voting machine, ,thecombination with voting members and a party bar engaged thereby, of a reciprocatory locking bar having a hole 37, a back plate through which the locking bar passes and a pin adapted to engage said hole within the back plate to prevent withdrawal of the loekin bar leaving it free to be retracted the party bar or to be moved inward across the path of the party bar.

11. In a votin machine, the combination with voting mec anism, of a reciprocator locking bar having holes 37 and 38, a bac plate through which said bar passes, a spring catch adapted to engage the locking bar to retain it where placed and pins adapted to engage holes 37 and 38 within the back plate and outside the spring catch to lock the bar against movement in either direction.

12. In a voting machine, the combination with voting mechanism, of a reciprocatory locking bar having holes 33, 34, 37 and38, a back plate through which said bar passes, a spring catch adapted to engage holes 33 and 34, for the purpose set forth, and pins adapted toengage hole 37 within the back plate and hole 38 outside the spring catch, to lock the bar against movement.

13; In a voting machine, the combination a party bar engaged thereb and-a party lever engaging the party bar, 0 a reciproc'atory locking barhaving holes 33, 34 and 37, a back plate through which said bar passes, a spring catch adapted to engage holes 33 and 34 to retain the locking bar where placed, a pin adapted to engage hole 37 within the back plate to prevent withdrawal of -the locking bar, and means, as a curtain, for concealing the voting lever.

In testimony'whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT.

Witnesses:

GEO. 0. B. HAWLEY, CHARLES H. PrrNEY.

from t e path of- 

